tance, we plied occafionally, it being uncertain how far we were
from the American Coaft.
Tn the afternoon of the 18’th, we had a ludden fquall from the
Weftward; but our fails being handed in time, we did not receive
the leaft damage. The wind blew a frelh gale the greateft part of
the night; but in the forenoon of the 19th, it moderated, and the
weather grew clear enough for us to get a meridian altitude, which
gave 37 deg. 41 min. North latitude.
From the 20th to the 22d, we had thick hazy weather, with
frequent fqualls, and almoft conftant fnow and fleet, the wind
generally blowing frelh at South hail, and South South Eaft.
Our latitude, by account at noon on the 22d, was 59 deg. 1 min.
North. This made us ply with caution, as-we weie certain the
coaft could not be far off; and the weather was fo very hazy, that
w.e could not fee land a league from the veffeL
In the morning of the 23d, the weather grew tolerably clear.
Our latitude at noon was 59 deg. 9 min. and the longitude 147 deg.
55 min. Weft, being the mean of two fets of lunar obfervations.
At one o’clock we faw land, bearing from North Eaft by North to
Weft, ten leagues diftant. At feven in the evening, we perceived
the land to the Weftward to be Foot Ifland, and that to the Eaft-
ward,‘ Montague Ifland; fo that we were Handing well for the
paffage into Prince William’s Sound, which we in vain attempted to
make, when laft on this coaft. At fun-fet, the entrance bore
North 14 deg. Eaft; and the South Eaft part of Montague Ifland
North 32 deg. Eaft, about five leagues diftant. The wind being
light and variable, we ftretched to the Eaftward during the night;
and in the morning of the 24th, a moderate breeze fpringing up
from
from the Weftward, we fet all fail, and flood right in for the paf- j| | |
fage. At noon we were right in the entrance of the channel. <_—
Our obfervation gave 59 deg. 47 min. North latitude; and the
longitude was 147 deg. 52 min. Weft.
This place is laid down in Captain Cook’s general chart, in 59
deg. 36 min. North latitude, which is eleven miles to the Southward
of our obfervation, on which account, our gentlemen were
particularly correft in taking their altitudes, and being favoured
with a remarkably clear horizon, were able to determine the latitude
to a certainty. This convinced Captain Dixon of the error
in'the chart above-mentioned, and evidently fhewed, that the latitude
had been fettled by angles carried on from the fun’s meridian
altitude at a diftance.
The land in this fituation bore from North 34 deg. Weft to
North by Eaft; Green Iflands North; diftant from the South Eaft
point of Montague Ifland two miles. The breeze dying away in
the afternoon, and there being no probability of our reaching the
Sound, we flood into a deep bay, which now opened to the Eaftward,
and let go an anchor about five o’clock, in twenty-four fathom
water, over a muddy bottom; the extremes of the land bearing
from North Weft to South Weft.
Once more are we arrived at the bufy fcene of action ; and here
I will take my leave of thee for the prefent, with a fincere wilh,
that we may not verify the old adage, “ The mountains labour,
&c. Thine ever,
W . B.
Montague Island, ?
25th April. I
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